Steam-engine-reversing mechanism



3 Sheets-Shat 1 (No Model.)

J-. FRAZIER.

STEAM ENGINE REVERSINGMEGHANISM.

Patented Jan.30, 1883.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. FRAZIER.

STEAM ENGINE REVERSING MECHANISM. No. 271,327.

Patented Jan. 30, 188B.

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(No Model.) 3-Sheets-Sl1eet 3 J. PRAZIER. v STEAM ENGINE REVEESINGMECHANISM. N0. 271,327. Patented Jan.30,1883.

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. structcd to move said valve, and a valve deand 16, each consisting ofa rod sliding in a UNITED STATES- PATENT. .QFFICE JOHN FRAZIER, OFSEAROY, ARKANSAS.

STEAM-ENGINE-REVERSINGMECHANiSM.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 271,327, dated January30, 1853.

Application filed July 19, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FRAZIER, a resident of Searcy, White county,Arkansas, have invented Improvements in Steam-Engine-ReversingMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a valve device, constructed as fully describedhereinafter, to control an engine arranged to operate the throttle of a.larger engine, whereby upon the adjustment of said device said secondaryengine may be moved to any predetermined extent in any direction tosecure a definite and positive adjustment of the throttle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a throttle-operatingengine provided with my improved valve device.v Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection ot'said device. Figs. 3 to 14 are views showing parts of saiddevice detached. Fig. 15 is a perspective view of part of the reversingmechanism of the engine. Fig. 16 is a detached view of one of theconnecting-rods of the reversing-lever. Fig. 17 is a section of thehand-wheel and devices for operating the valve-device shaft, and Fig. 18is a section on the line 1 2, Fig.17. Fig. 19 is a detached view of thebody of the cylinder.

In carrying out my invention I combine with the throttle-valve X of anysuitable main propelling-engine a supplemental engine convice wherebythe operator may start, stop, or reverse said supplemental engine atpleasure.

The supplemental engine may be of any suitable character, as a rotary,reciprocating, or oscillating engine. I have shown a doublecylinderreciprocating engine, by which motion is imparted to the double-crankshaft 1), the engines being provided with ordinary slide-valves and withlink-motions for reversing and cutting off, the links 2 3 beingconnected to alever, 1 which is connected to the pistourod 6 ofa piston,8 in an auxiliary cylinder, G that communicates through a central pipe,7 with the steam-chest 10 Asonelever could not accompany the varyingmovements of both the links connected to it, 1 use-extensible yieldingconnecting-rods 4 5, Figs. 15

tube, with cross or hearing pins and springs w to so arranged as toyield when the rod is drawn out or in, thus maintaining the tension onthe rod, but permittingit to extend or contract when necessary. lheoperation of the links is the same as in all engines.

The supplemental engine described is geared to a shaft, 9, or otherwiseconnected to suitable devices, whereby on the movement of the engine inone direction the throttle-valve X will be raised and on the movement inthe other direction it will be depressed.

By throwing steam into a pipe, 4 comma nicating with one endot' thecylinder G the piston and lever l are thrown in one direction, and anopposite movement is imparted when steam is admitted to the other end ofthe cylinder through a pipe, 5 the steam, after setting the piston ineither direction, flowing into the steam-chest, and, according totheposition in which the links have been set, turning the engine in onedirection or the other. Thus the position of the links is controlled bydirecting the steam to one or other of the pipes 4 5. An ordinary two orthree way cock could not be used for directing the steam to the desiredpipe, because the pilot could not thereby control the number ofrevolutions of the engine. nor arrest it at any exact or predeterminedpoiut, owing to the expansion of steam after it is cut oif, momentum,and other causes. For these reasonsI employ the special device which 1will now describe.

A is a cylinder having two fixed heads, A A two inner revolving disks,GE,and a sliding disk, F, which may be set up by a tubular screw, 42,against the rotary disk E, so as to make close joints between the disksand the rear end of the cylinder. From the disk F, and through slots inthe head A project pipes 2 3 the latter of which permits the escape ofany steam that may be exhausted or leak from thejoints and the formercommunicates with the pipe that supplies steam to the engine. Channels 2a convey away leakage steam and water. These two pipes may communicatewith annular orifices 9 10 in the disk E, or in the corresponding faceof the disk F, or in both. From annular orifices or channels 8 9 in theinner face of the head A lead the pipes 4 5, extending to the cylinder GThrough the disk E extend three segmental slots, 7 8 9 the slot 7inclining from near the periphcry at the inner side to a'point oppositethe groove 9 on the other side, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4. In the disk Gare two segmental openings, 5 6 the latter extending directly and theformer obliquely from a point near the periphery, Figs. 2 and 5, to apoint on the opposite side corresponding with the position of the groove9. In one of the disks G or E is a curved slot,f, and from the otherextends a pin, g, the slot being of such length that the disk E can beturned in one direction to bring the outer end of the port 7 to coincidewith the outer end of the port 5 and in the other directionuntil theouter end of the port 7 coincides fully with the port 6 The turning ofthe disk E may be effected by hand byturning the shaftK, which isslotted to receive a pin or feather, 1 extending from the disk, Figs. 2and 3. Then the disk E is turned to the leftthat is in the direction ofthe arrow, Fig. 3-until the port 7 coincides with the port 5 of the diskG, Fig. 2 the steam will pass from the pipe 2 and annular channel 9through the ports 7 5, to the annular channel 9 and thence through thepipe 4 to the left-hand end of the cylinder G throwing the piston andlever 1 to the right and setting the links in such position that theengine will revolve in the direction of its arrow, Fig. 1. As describedhereinafter, the shaft of the engine is connected to the disk G, whichtherefore turns with the engine-shaft, the result being that the port 5is carried away from the port 7 until the blank space .00 of the disk G,Fig. 5, closes the port 7 cutting off the passage of steam to theengine. If the disk E is now again moved to the left, the ports 5 7 willagain coincide, and the steam will again be directed to the engine, andthe operation will continue until the port 7 is again closed. If thedisk E is moved to the right, the port 7 will be brought to coincidewith the port 6 in the disk G, (see Fig 5 and dotted lines, Fig. 1,) andthe steam will flow through the port 61 and the channel 8 to the pipe 5and to the righthand end of the cylinder G and will reverse the positionof the piston 8 and of the links and start the engine in the contrarydirection. The movement of the engine-shaft will be continued until thedisk G is turned to the right sufficiently to bring the blankface oropposite the port 7 when the flow of steam will be cut off. Should themomentum of the engine or expansion of the steam tend to continue therevolution of the shaft 1 in either direction after the flow of steam isstopped, the continued revolution of the disk G will carry the facetsaway from opposite the port 7 in one direction or the other, until thefollowing opening 5 or 6 (according to the direction of revolution)coincides to a slight degree with the port 7 when thesteam will pass tothe other pipe, 4 or 5, than that just closed, and will throw the linksto theopposite side and reverse the engine, practically bringing it to afull stop. When the steam is thrown to one end of the cylinder G', thatat the opposite side of the piston will flow through the other pipe(which now becomes the ex-.

haust) into the valve-case A, when it passes into one of the channels 98 to one of the ports 5 6, which is not occupied, thence to one of theports 8 9 in the disk E, Fig. 4, and thence to the channel 10 and out ofthe pipe 3 It will be seen that by the construction described the pilotcan by varying the direction of the valve-motion determine the directionin which the throttle-operating engine shall start. By varying theextent of the throw of the valve he can determine exactly how far thethrottle shall be moved, and that when the engine has moved sufficientlyto bring the throttle to the desired position it is brought to a fullstop. I

It will further be seen that the pilot continuing to turn the shaft K,so as to keep the port 7 of the disk E ahead of but in communicationwith the port 5 or B in the other disk, the latter is prevented fromovertaking and closing the port 7*", and the movement of the engine iscontinued as long as the pilot turns the disk, the rapidity of movementof the engine being proportioned to the rapidity of the movement of thehand.

I have stated that the disk G is connected to the shaft of the engine.This is effected by a coupling-sleeve, 2 having two screws, 5 6?, bywhich connegtion is made with the shaft 1 and with a sleeve, J,extending from the disk G through the head A of the cylinder. Byloosening either screw the connection may be broken.

it is sometimes desirable to continue the rotation of the disk E and theoperation of the engine for alonger time than it would be practicablefor the pilot to continuously rotate the shaft K. I therefore providemeans whereby to couple the shaft with the engine. Different devices maybe employed for this purpose. I have shown a clutch consisting ofa'conical serrated seat, y,in the end of the sleeve J,and acorresponding conical serrated head, I), on the end of the shaft K, anda sleeve, 29, sliding on the shaft J, and having a pin extending througha slot in the sleeve Jinto an annular groove in the shaft K. By movingthe sleeve 29 by means of alever, 28, the end of the shaft K may bebrought into the socket in the sleeve J, the frictional contact causingthe shaft K and its disk E to turn with the disk G; and it will be seenthat the relative position of the twodisks at the time the shaft Kisthrown inward will be preserved, so that if the port 7 has beenuncovered to a sl ght degree the engine will move slowly, and movequickly in proportion as the port was opened at the time the connectionwas made.

To start the engine in either direction, the pilot first rotates thedisk E by hand until the IIO throws the shaft K into gear. To facilitatethe latter operation, an L-shaped pivoted springtreadle, 3 may beconnected to thelever 28, as shown in Fig. 1, so that by placing thefoot upon the treadle the lever will be swung to bring the end of theshaft K into its socket.

To secure a multiplying action, the multiplying-gear shown in Fig. 1 maybe used, the screw 5 being loosened, the pinion 7 being moved onto asquare hub on the couplingsleeve2 ,and into gear with apin ion, 8,driven by gears 9 10 from the shaft I Any other adjustable multiplyingor reducing gear may be used.

To facilitate the hand-turning of the shaft K, a Wheel, A is secured tothe shaft by a movable pin,P=,and is provided with a handle for turningit, and withaspring-catch,2 ,which, when engaged with the teeth of anannular rack, W, secured to the frame of the machine, holds'the wheeland shaft in position. The wheel A may be connected to the shaft throughthe medium of two springs, s 5, Figs. 17 and 18, coiled in differentdirections, and each connected at one end to the shaft and at the otherto a case or hollow hub, s, of the wheel, which can turn freely on theshaft.

wheel is turned rapidly in any direction to any point and then fixed,one spring is coiled and the other unwound, and in resuming their normalor neutral position the springs impart ro tation to the shaft, andconsequently continue the motion of the engine until the power of thespringsis exhausted. The pilot may thus secure a continuance of therotation of the shaft for any predetermined number of revolutions withthe cessation of all movement the instant the said number of revolutionshave been'efi'ecteda A register, 5 and gear connections with the shaft Kenable the pilot in winding up the springs to set the parts definitelyin any position required to produce the desired effect.

It will be apparent that instead of rotary disks with ports other valvedevices having two parts or sections, one adjusted by hand to open theports and the other moved by the engine after it has operated to adefinite ex-.

tent to close said ports, and thereby arrestits own motion, may beused-such for instance, as set forth in a separate division of thisapplication for Letters Patent.

1 claim- 1. The combination, with the throttle-valve of a main engine,of a separate supplemental engine for operating said valve, and atwopart valve device controlling the flow of steam to said engine, andprovided with passages and ports, one part adjustable by hand and theother connected to be operated by the engine, substantially as setforth, whereby after the atjustment of said valve device by hand to openthe steam-passage the movement of the engine is made the means ofclosing said passage, as specified.

When the 2. Thecombination, in a valve device, of

either port of the engine-cylinder, and the other connected to theengine, and provided with ports and passages whereby to permit thepassage of steam to the engine until said section has moved a distancedetermined by the adjustment of the hand-section, as set forth.

4. The combination of a steam-engine valve and links for adjusting thevalve, and a supplementalvalve having one section adjustable by hand andanother movable by the engine, and provided with ports and passagesarranged to secure the passage of steam to different ports of areversing device, as specified, to reverse the engine and to permit amovement of the engine operated section until it reaches a positiondetermined by the adj ustment of the hand-section, as specified.

- 5. The combination of the valve-casing, its inlet and exhaust ports,and channels extending to the reversing device of the suppleand ports,as described, capable of a limited movement independently of each other,de-

vices for adjusting one disk by hand, and con-' nections whereby theother is moved updn the movement of the engine, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination of the valveeasing, disks E G, shaft K, connected tothe disk E, and appliances for turning the same by hand, sleeve J,attached to the disk Gr, and'connections for turning said disk on themovement of the engine, and appliances whereby the shaft and sleeve maybe coupled to turn together, as set forth.

7. The combination of the valve device, constructed as set forth, theengine shaft 1 and adjustable multiplyinggear interposed be tween thesaid shaft and the sleeve J of the valve device, constructed asdescribed.

8. The combination of the valve-casing containing the disks G E and diskF and adjusting-screw 42, as set forth.

9. The combination of the valve device, as specified, a supplementalengine having reversing mechanism, and an auxiliary cylinder, Gcommunicating with the ports of said de vice and with the valve-chest ofthe engine, and provided with a piston connected to the reversing-lever,as specified.

the valve device, of an adjustable hand-wheel,

A,'connected With the shaft byspiral springs I In testimonywhereof Ihave signed my 10 sis, Wound in different directions, for the purname tothis specification in the presence of pose described. two subscribingWitnesses. 11. The combination of the valve device of v a supplementalengine, controlling a throttle- JOHN FRAZIER.

shaft, K, and register 5, having a pointer connected to be operated bysaid shaft and Witnesses:

graduated to indicate the position of the throt- CHARLES E. FOSTER,tle,-as set forth. WILLIAM PAXTON.

